…Hit Me Baby (Fifty) One More Time: The 51 Greatest Britney Spears Tracks Ever

#20 “Circus” – Circus (2008)

Maybe my favorite chorus? The apparent parallels to Britney’s life aside, this song – and album’s – imagery was such a potent reminder of Performer Britney’s power. For good or bad, the road to Vegas started here. 

#19 “Slumber Party” – Glory (2016) 

Thirteen years after Britney collaborated with her idol, Madonna, she is the Pop Queen, joined by emerging icon Tinashe for one of Glory’s sexiest, slickest tracks. It should be noted that I am deep, deep in the bag for Tinashe, who should be one of the biggest pop stars on the planet right now. Stream Flame (Kaskade Remix)! 

#18 “Break the Ice” – Blackout (2007)

Along with “Gimme More” and “Piece of Me,” both bigger hits, really solidified Britney’s new vibe and her ability to work make any sound her own.  

#17 “Boys (The Co-Ed Remix)” – Britney (2001)

The remix is the only one that really, truly exists (we call this the J. Lo phenomenon). Britney fits so well with the sound of the early-aughts Neptunes. I’d argue Pharrell is her best duet partner.  

#16 “Oops!… I Did It Again” – Oops!… I Did It Again! (2000)

This album, and the title song, is the musical equivalent to calling one’s shot. Oh, I just became one of the biggest selling artists of all-time? Guess what it’s about to happen again. Whoopsie-daisies, here are the highest first-week sales by a female artist (a record that Britney held for fifteen years until Adele’s 25). The song benefits heavily from its iconography – the red jumpsuit, the spoken word interlude; It successfully places you in a specific era, white eyeliner, and all. It also cemented Britney Spears’s love of ellipses.

#15 “I Wanna Go” – Femme Fatale (2003) 

Britney’s most propulsive song. Made exclusively for dancing at 2 AM with your friends while a bartender is mopping up, begging you to leave. All theoretical, as I’ve never personally had this experience. 

#14 “Perfume” – Britney Jean (2013) 

One of two great songs from the underwhelming Britney Jean album.It’s the pettiness of drenching herself in perfume before meeting a lover so the other woman knows Britney got there first. 

#13 “Gimme More” – Blackout (2007)

So much to unpack in Blackout, an album that was a real grower, not a shower for me. In crafting this opus,  I initially had “Gimme More” a bit lower but realized that “It’s Britney, bitch!” was too powerful to leave outside the Top 15. 

#12 “I’m a Slave 4 U” – Britney (2001)

A year before X-tina would get “Dirrty,” Britney gave us what remains the sweatiest, steamiest video of her career.  Impossible to think of this song without the metaphorical (and literal) pythons during her VMA performance, a perfect end cap to a three-year run of VMA showstoppers seared deeply into my brain, my heart, and my soul (maybe a little in my pants). Britney’s first foray into full-on sexy mode. Those breathing beats are still fire 20 years later. 

#11 “Work Bitch” – Britney Jean (2003)

Work Bitch, as a song and concept, has possibly had the longest tail of cultural relevance of any Britney Spears song. Think about that for a moment. But not too long, in case I’m wrong. 

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